Platelet-rich plasma injections may lead to improvements in tissue healing

Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant and A-Rod have all used it, but does platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) really work for the every-day active person? According to a University of Alberta Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic pilot study on patients with chronically sore shoulders published in PLOS ONE, preliminary findings say yes.

“We studied patients 35 to 60 years old with rotator cuff tendinopathy due to normal aging. For the first time, we were able to not only find reported improvements in pain and mobility, but also in the tissue – the MRI before and after showed structural change and a decrease in the size of tears,” says Marni Wesner, sports medicine physician at the Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic and lead author of the study.